Tuesday, March 23, 2010

11th Street Bridge Project - Traffic Advisory Update March 22 to April 2 2010



***TRAFFIC ADVISORY-UPDATE***

Off-Peak Travel Hour Lane Closures Possible from March 22 to April 2

On 11th Street Bridge, Adjacent Portions of DC 295/I-295 and Local Streets

One lane may be closed on up to two block portions of

M, N, O and S Street SE and Good Hope Road

WASHINGTON, DC – Weekdays from Monday, March 22 to Friday, April 2, contractors for the District of Columbia Department of Transportation (DDOT) will conduct a variety of work for the 11th Street Bridge Project requiring off-peak-hour lane closures on the 11th Street Bridge, DC 295/I-295 and adjacent portions of some local streets where parking will be temporarily restricted.

From 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday closures include:

· One lane of the outbound 11th Street Bridge.

· The left lane of the inbound 11th Street Bridge.

· One lane and the shoulder in each direction of DC295/I-295 between Pennsylvania Avenue and Howard Road.

· The right lane westbound on M and N Street SE between 12th and 11th Street.

· The right lane eastbound on O Street SE between 11th and 12th Street with parking restricted.

· The right lane westbound/northbound on Good Hope Road between the 295 overpass and Anacostia Drive.

From 7:30 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. Monday through Friday:

· One lane and the shoulder in each direction of DC295/I-295 between Pennsylvania Avenue and Howard Road will be closed.

During the closures, contractors will conduct drainage inspection and cleaning, barrier installation, line striping, equipment relocation, sign work and various other construction activities. Closures may be subject to change due to weather or other unforeseen conditions.

For more information about the 11th Street Bridge Project, please contact Public Information Manager Bryon Johnston at 202-484-2330, ext. 137 or visit www. theanacostiawaterfront.com/11thstreet.jsp.

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Bryon Johnston

Public Information Manager

11th Street Bridge Project

202-484-2330, ext. 137

410-924-2850

Monday, March 15, 2010

Skyland Town Center Development Update and meeting announcement



Attention Penn-Branch Neighbors!!!

The Skyland Town Center Development is coming!!


400 housing units

300,000 sq. ft. of retail space

Community benefits from the developer could include--

· Job training

· Student financial aid

· Support for the Francis Gregory Library

· Support for neighborhood schools

We need your support and your voice to get a fair deal for our community. Please come and engage the developer, the Rappaport Companies.

When: ANC 7B Meeting

7 p.m. Thursday, March 18, 2010

Ryland Epworth Church

3200 S Street SE (near Branch & PA aves.)

This project goes back to the Zoning Commission on April 21, 2010. The hearing begins at 6:30 p.m. at 441 4th St., NW. Please plan to attend .

For more information, call ANC Commissioner Robert Richards, 7B07, 583-3524, or Gilbert Bussey begin_of_the_skype_highlighting end_of_the_skype_highlighting, President, Penn-Branch Citizens/Civic Association, 584-6165.

Monday, March 1, 2010

2011 Property Assessments in Penn Branch: How do they compare with the rest of the DC?

Most folks in Penn Branch just received their 2011 Property Tax Assessments and if you're like most of us, you had to have been shocked, in most cases, by major decreases in assessed values for our homes. We all understand that the assessed value is based on fair market value. You hear about home values in the area declining by double digits. However, when you see valuation decreases in the range of 20% to 25% in one year, that should trigger a red flag!

It also begs the question, how do Penn Branch assessments compare to assessments in other parts of town? If one were to review the assessments in other neighborhoods, would one see the steep declines, in say, Berkley, American University Park, Cleveland Park or Forest Hills? Probably not. Why? Also, why does the value of the "land" component of the assessment decrease? How would the assessor know to decrease the "home improvement" component of the assessment, especially when no one has actually inspected the premises? And, finally, why would the assessed tax, after all of the aforementioned declines, increase?

Surely, someone can answer these questions. Otherwise, there is a 900 lb. gorilla in the room.